Built by Higgins Industries in New Orleans, PT-658 is a 78-foot patrol torpedo boat constructed near the end of World War II for the United States Navy. Laid down in February 1945 and completed that July, the vessel featured a hull constructed of laminated mahogany planks, designed to give it agility and speed in shallow littoral waters. It was powered by three massive 1,500-horsepower Packard V12 gasoline engines, allowing it to cut through waves at speeds exceeding 40 knots. Intended for aggressive anti-shipping and harassment missions, PT-658 was heavily armed with four Mark 13 torpedoes, a 40 mm Bofors cannon mounted on the stern, twin .50 caliber machine guns, and multiple 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, packing an incredible amount of firepower into a relatively compact wooden frame.
While the war concluded before PT-658 could see frontline combat in the Pacific Theatre, the vessel served a vital post-war role, repurposed as a missile retriever and patrol craft for the Bureau of Aeronautics in California. After being transferred to civilian hands and spending decades deteriorating on a mudflat, the boat was rescued in 1994 by a dedicated group of World War II PT boat veterans. Over nearly a decade, the team meticulously restored the vessel to its exact 1945 military configuration. Today, PT-658 is moored on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, and holds a rare distinction: it is the only fully operational, authentic World War II Higgins PT boat left in existence, frequently taking to the water as a living history museum.
